Oak Harbor council votes to repeal park gun ban

A standing-room-only crowd that included many gun rights supporters was on hand Tuesday night as the city council in Oak Harbor voted to lift a ban on guns in local parks and marinas.

The issue of guns grew heated at a Jan. 15 council hearing when Councilman Rick Almberg tried unsuccessfully to ban guns in the council chamber and Mayor Scott Dudley apologized to a military veteran speaker who was carrying a gun with a permit.

That episode gained national attention after video was posted on YouTube.

Gun rights groups called on supporters to turn out at Tuesday night's meeting. Some carried their weapons openly, either in holsters or slung over their shoulders.

The council had faced a threat of lawsuits over the ban.

A Superior Court judge struck down a 2009 Seattle ban on guns in parks and community centers, finding it was pre-empted by state law governing firearms regulation.